Space and Science
We Californians take pride in our contributions to the space and technology accomplishments of our country.
We know first hand that American investment in science and technology has led to the creation of new competitive enterprise and industrial expansion with an increased civilian workforce. American aerospace has played a tremendous economy-building role right here in California and throughout the country. During his tenure in office, Rep. Rohrabacher has fought for policies that encourage development of space-based assets and fostered technology solutions to problems inhibiting prosperity.
Rep. Rohrabacher plays an active role in Congress insisting that our limited space dollars are used wisely and private sector investment and international cooperation will enable us to maintain a sustainable space program.
As former chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, Rep. Rohrabacher advocates orbital fuel depots- or "gas stations" in space. These depots enable us to use existing rocket systems instead of depending on one gigantic overly expensive rocket. This will permit our nation to create new jobs based on new technologies and new enterprises while getting America back to real human exploration and a profitable utilization of space.
The continued development of domestic commercial crew and cargo launch services to low Earth orbit is one of the key short-term components Rep. Rohrabacher has championed. The major companies developing these launchers, primarily located here in southern California, will help us make use of the International Space Station without relying solely on Russian rockets to launch us into space. He also strongly opposes cooperation with China in space endeavors.
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WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Thursday issued the following statement on the death of former Senator John Glenn:
I am by turns today both saddened by the death of Astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, and inspired by the memory of his heroism and his spirit of adventure. That spirit is quintessentially American, challenging and emboldening us to reach for the heavens while enlarging the body of our scientific knowledge.
WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Thursday hailed passage by the House of Representatives of the SPACE Act of 2015, which would encourage commercial exploration of space.
HR2262, or the Spurring Private Aerospace Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship Act, passed by a solid vote of 284 to 133. Republicans cast 236 of the votes favoring it with 48 Democrats also voting to approve.
WASHINGTON – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher on Tuesday congratulated SpaceX and Boeing on being awarded NASA contracts to launch U.S. crews to the International Space Station and return them safely to Earth.
Both firms have a significant presence in Southern California, and were enabled to bid for the fixed-price contracts by Rohrabacher’s Commercial Space Launch Amendment Act of 2004. Rohrabacher has been the lead voice in Congress to encourage private ventures into space for the past 20 years.
As Published on RealClearMarkets.com
Unbeknownst to most Americans, over the past quarter-century a stealth, but also brazen, campaign has been staged to weaken constitutional protections of their fundamental right to invent and enjoy the fruits of their applied imagination. The insidious effort is being conducted in the deceptive name of "patent reform."
Last week’s Space News editorial discusses the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM), which they correctly note is “Going Nowhere Fast.” They state that the ARM is “… the only plausibly affordable concept for deep-space exploration that can leverage the heavy-lift Space Launch System and Orion capsule that Congress has directed NASA to build. These vehicles, whose development is costing nearly $3 billion annually, have no other place to go under any realistic budget scenarios for NASA.”
ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF HON. DANA ROHRABACHER
COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE AND TECHNOLOGY
FISCAL YEAR 2014 BUDGET
Although I strongly agree with much of the Committee’s Views and Estimates, there is one specific area on which I wish to state a different view, as I have done for the past few years.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Dana Rohrabacher ( R-CA), Vice Chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, issued the following statement in response to the meteor explosion over Russia earlier today:
"This should serve as a wake-up call.
First, I would like to thank Dr. George Nield, and the FAA, for inviting me here today. I think you and your team are doing outstanding work, and your continued success will be critical to the American commercial space industry as we stay strong and grow stronger.
It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to address this crowd, and we’ve certainly been moving in the right direction recently. We continue to have successful launches, and our national record remains unblemished in protecting the general public. Of that, we should all be proud.
NASA's most important mission is exploring the solar system. Near-term human exploration missions are possible, and they should start soon. Yet our current plan seems to be waiting a decade or more developing the perfect launch vehicle while we delay work on a deep-space habitat and lunar lander.
In the 40 years since the last Apollo crew visited the moon, we have developed new technology, and learned how to live and operate in space, but we are no longer willing to take the necessary risks to achieve great accomplishments.
Today, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) was named the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology by full committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX).
“It is my honor to serve as Vice Chair alongside Chairman Smith. I look forward to working with Mr. Smith, the Subcommittee Chairs and all of the Members to insist on the highest scientific standards for research and development and support policies that will keep America the number one space power in the world.”